need help with FileStream for writing text

I am new to using FileStream, it was introduced to me by a member here, dunfiddlin, when I had an issue with a project for a friend.

I am now trying to expand my horizon more with a little program for myself, and trying to figure out the best way to edit a specific area within a file (in this case it is a file I am calling names.db but it is not an actual database file).

I am trying to have it so that it can write a name that someone puts in a TextBox to a certain offset of the .db file. I know how to do this with 8 bit and 16 bit integers, but I cannot figure out how to do this with text. Here is the code that I got the last time I received help on Filestream:

Code:

---

Private Sub WriteFile()
 
        Dim writer As New IO.FileStream(filepath, IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate, IO.FileAccess.Write)
 
        Try
            writer.Position = 6244
            writer.WriteByte(CType(TextBox1.Text, Byte)) ' insert 8 bit value
            writer.Position = 6286
            Dim b() As Byte = BitConverter.GetBytes(CType(TextBox8.Text, Int16)).ToArray
            writer.WriteByte(b(1))
            writer.Position = 6287
            writer.WriteByte(b(0))
 
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.Message)
        Finally
            writer.Close()
            writer.Dispose()
        End Try
 
    End Sub

---

Does anyone know how to change what I have here to work with text?

I already figured out how to have it read and program the length of the names, just not how to write the names themselves. I thought maybe trying to convert it all to HEX, but I don't quite understand most of what I am finding. I found examples, but they use so many variables and extra numbers that I am not sure what to change.

I have also heard of streamwriter, but I am not sure if this would be compatible with filestream for writing the other parts.

Thank you for your time.

Not sure exactly what your looking for

but the file stream write has a writeline function

writer.writeline("This is a test")


hope that helps

I have tried that, but it gives me an error saying "writer.writeline is not a member of System.IO.FileStream"

No it isn't. You wouldn't normally use FileStream for text but it's actually not that difficult.

vb.net Code:

Dim writer As New IO.FileStream(filename, IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate, IO.FileAccess.Write)
        Dim s As String = "Name Surname" ' for example
        Dim b(s.Length - 1) As Byte
        For i = 0 To b.Length - 1
            b(i) = BitConverter.GetBytes(s(i))(0) ' it will always be one byte for a character
        Next
        writer.Write(b, offset, b.Length) ' bytearray, position, length
        writer.Close()

Code:

---

Private Sub WriteFile()
        Dim fs as New FileStream(filename,FileMode.Create,FileAccess.Write)
        Dim writer As New StreamWriter(fs)
        writer.WriteLine("SomeText")
        writer.close()
End Sub

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Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dunfiddlin

No it isn't. You wouldn't normally use FileStream for text but it's actually not that difficult.

vb.net Code:

Dim writer As New IO.FileStream(filename, IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate, IO.FileAccess.Write)
        Dim s As String = "Name Surname" ' for example
        Dim b(s.Length - 1) As Byte
        For i = 0 To b.Length - 1
            b(i) = BitConverter.GetBytes(s(i))(0) ' it will always be one byte for a character
        Next
        writer.Write(b, offset, b.Length) ' bytearray, position, length
        writer.Close()

---

Thanks for helping me out again, but I am a little confused about what to change to what. I thought I knew what to do. Here is the code.

vb.net Code:

Dim f(TextBox2.Text.Length - 1) As Byte
            For i = 0 To f.Length - 1
                f(i) = BitConverter.GetBytes(TextBox2.Text(i))(0)
            Next
            writer.Write(f, 20, f.Length)

I have a textbox and tried switching what I thought would be correct, but I obviously missed something. I already used b in one of my int16s, so I used f instead. I wasn't sure what to switch the s to, so I tried TextBox2.Text.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by billboy

Code:

---

Private Sub WriteFile()
        Dim fs as New FileStream(filename,FileMode.Create,FileAccess.Write)
        Dim writer As New StreamWriter(fs)
        writer.WriteLine("SomeText")
        writer.close()
End Sub

---

---

I tried that with my current setup, but having another Dim writer is giving me errors before letting me test. It won't accept FileStream or StreamWriter without errors.

you shouldnt have another Dim writer, just one

post your code

vb.net Code:

Private Sub WriteFile()
 
        Dim writer As New IO.FileStream(filepath, IO.FileMode.OpenOrCreate, IO.FileAccess.Write)
 
        Try
            writer.Position = 10     'dec location of sex 01 male 02 female
            writer.WriteByte(CType(TextBox3.Text, Byte))    ' insert 8 bit value
            writer.Position = 12     'dec location of age
            writer.WriteByte(CType(TextBox4.Text, Byte))    ' insert 8 bit value
        Catch ex As Exception
            'This is where I need the name to go at dec 20.  I have now fields after this, but I don't want to make the code to long for a sample. 
            MsgBox(ex.Message)
        Finally
            writer.Close()
            writer.Dispose()
        End Try
 
    End Sub

There is a small section of my writefile.